Nation's fifth Antarctic station opens

Xi says Qinling facility will bolster Chinese, global polar research efforts

China's fifth research station in Antarctica, the Qinling Station, commenced operations on Wednesday morning on Inexpressible Island in the Terra Nova Bay of the world's southernmost continent.

In a letter to polar researchers on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping congratulated them on the completion of the building of the station and its operation, and urged them to continue to work hard and innovate.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended his sincere greetings and Chinese Lunar New Year wishes to people working on polar research.